Both the heel-to-toe and front-to-back weight distribution in the head of a golf putter and the orientation of the putter ball-striking face contribute to the functioning of the putter. If the putter ball-striking face has a slight backward tilt (away from the ball), the face tends to lift the golf ball when the ball is struck. Providing a putter with a ball-striking face that has a backward tilt is described as “adding loft” to the putter. If the putter ball-striking face has a slight forward tilt (towards the ball), the face tends to push the golf ball into the green when the ball is struck. Providing a putter with a ball-striking face that has a forward tilt is described as “delofting” the putter.
The head of each putter has a particular balance orientation. In one example (which example is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive), the balance orientation of a putter head may be determined by finding a point on the shaft at which the shaft will assume a generally horizontal orientation when balanced on an object (e.g. on a fingertip). When the putter is so balanced on the fingertip of a golfer with the club shaft in a generally horizontal orientation, the putter head will typically assume one of the three basic putter head balance orientations.
The first putter head balance orientation is the “face-balanced orientation”. When the putter head is in the face-balanced orientation, the striking face of the putter is horizontally oriented (i.e., is parallel to the ground) and faces upwardly toward the sky. In a face-balanced putter, the putter shaft location with respect to the head typically, but not always, points toward the center of the putter head.
The second putter head balance orientation is the “toe-weighted” orientation. When the putter head is in the toe-weighted orientation, the toe of the putter hangs straight down, the heel of the putter points upwardly toward the sky, and the striking face of the putter is vertically oriented (i.e., is perpendicular to the ground). In a toe-weighted putter, the shaft typically is attached to the head at the heel.
The third putter head balance orientation is the “intermediate” orientation. When the putter head is in the intermediate orientation, it is oriented in a position between the face-balanced orientation and the toe-weighted orientation. The striking face of the putter head is canted, and is neither horizontally nor vertically oriented. In this regard, when a putter head is in the face-balanced orientation, the ball striking face is at an angle of essentially zero degrees with respect to the horizontal. On the other hand, when a putter head is in the toe-weighted orientation, the ball striking face of the putter is at an angle of essentially ninety degrees with respect to the horizontal. Thus, when a putter head has an intermediate orientation, the ball striking face of the putter is at an angle to the horizontal in the range of slightly more than zero degrees to slightly less than ninety degrees (typically an angle of twenty to eighty degrees with respect to the horizontal).
One popular style of putting is indicated in FIG. 24 and is called the pendulum style. In FIG. 24, dashed line 180 indicates the line of travel of the golf ball after being struck by the ball striking face of a putter 210 at point 184. When pendulum style putting is used, the putter head travels along an essentially straight line 181, 182, or 183 during the back stroke and follow through.
Another popular style of putting is indicated in FIG. 25 and is called the open-and-closed stroke. In FIG. 25, dashed line 185 indicates the line of travel of the golf ball after being struck by the ball striking face of a putter 211 at point 188. When the open-and-closed stroke is used, the putter head travels along an essentially curved path 186, 187, and opens on the back stroke, squares up to the ball at the contact point 188, and closes on the follow through. The severity of the arc in the curved path varies according to the golfer.
It is generally agreed that a putter with a head that has a face-balanced orientation facilitates a pendulum style putting stroke, and that a putter with a head that has an intermediate orientation or toe-weighted orientation facilitates the open-and-closed putter stroke.
Among those benefits and improvements that have been disclosed, other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures. The figures constitute a part of this specification and include illustrative embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.